New AP poll: 46% of insured have been hit with ObamaCare changes

posted at 9:01 am on December 16, 2013 by Ed Morrissey

The headline report for the new AP poll focuses on the erosion of coverage for Americans who already had insurance — and that may understate the damage this poll shows. The survey shows a rapid increase in disapproval over the handling of ObamaCare, but more importantly shows that the impact of the incompetence extends far beyond the people in the individual markets:

Americans who already have health insurance are blaming President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul for their rising premiums and deductibles, and overall 3 in 4 say the rollout of coverage for the uninsured has gone poorly.

An Associated Press-GfK poll finds that health care remains politically charged going into next year’s congressional elections. Keeping the refurbished HealthCare.gov website running smoothly is just one of Obama’s challenges, maybe not the biggest.

The poll found a striking level of unease about the law among people who have health insurance and aren’t looking for any more government help. Those are the 85 percent of Americans who the White House says don’t have to be worried about the president’s historic push to expand coverage for the uninsured.

In the survey, nearly half of those with job-based or other private coverage say their policies will be changing next year — mostly for the worse. Nearly 4 in 5 (77 percent) blame the changes on the Affordable Care Act, even though the trend toward leaner coverage predates the law’s passage.

How has the law impacted people who get either private or job-based health-care coverage? Those two categories comprise two-thirds of respondents in this survey, but only 6% had individual-market coverage. If the ObamaCare changes only impacted those individual markets, we should expect to see no more than 10% or so of the combined private/jobs-based covered respondents reporting an impact to their own situation. Instead, we see this:

Almost 70% of all people in this subset are seeing their premiums increase, and almost 60% are seeing deductibles and co-pays rising as well. Eighteen percent are getting coverage restrictions, and 14% are losing spousal coverage. Only 21% are getting more coverage of any kind.

Now, this could be happening in any given year as insurers find ways to save money, but this year insurers have had a whole lot more risk forced on them by the new law. Consumers aren’t fooled, either. More than three-quarters blame ObamaCare, and eight-five percent are moderately or very sure that the above changes are in response to the ObamaCare law, with 61% being “extremely/very sure” of it. That’s as close to consensus as we see in American politics.

Small wonder that support for ObamaCare has dropped to its lowest level ever in the AP/GfK series at 27%. Opposition has jumped six points since early October to 44%, which is still not near the late 2010 high of 52%, but the 34% strongly opposing it is the highest since February 2012. The momentum is going the wrong way for Democrats, and the underlying causes producing that momentum have little to do with websites.

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Comments

and those Ocare changes are soooo wonderful. That’s why Barry went around the country telling everybody that their Health Care coverage was going to change and some people wouldn’t be able to keep their plans and doctors. But not to worry cause ObamaCare was going to be sooooooo much more better…… OH Yeah…. that’s right…. never mind

Almost 70% of all people in this subset are seeing their premiums increase, and almost 60% are seeing deductibles and co-pays rising as well. Eighteen percent are getting coverage restrictions, and 14% are losing spousal coverage. Only 21% are getting more coverage of any kind.

Obama is going to be madder than his staff about this one. What with three years of telling Americans that if people liked their plan they could keep their plan. Period. This is not what being able to keep one’s plan looks like.

Is there any working plan or effort to repeal? If not, is it just the expectation that it will help R’s get elected? If those answers are no and yes, I’m not excited.

MT on December 16, 2013 at 9:13 AM

The surrender weasels covered this. As long as the rats are in charge of the Senate and White House, there is no way that the GOP leadership is going to attempt repeal. They are as cowardly as they are morally bankrupt.

The surrender weasels covered this. As long as the rats are in charge of the Senate and White House, there is no way that the GOP leadership is going to attempt repeal. They are as cowardly as they are morally bankrupt.

Happy Nomad on December 16, 2013 at 9:21 AM

One point you forgot to mention above, there is ZERO chance of any repeal, none. Ain’t gonna happen when the Dems own the Senate and White House. Not sure why everyone keeps going there.

One point you forgot to mention above, there is ZERO chance of any repeal, none. Ain’t gonna happen when the Dems own the Senate and White House. Not sure why everyone keeps going there.

Johnnyreb on December 16, 2013 at 9:26 AM

Just because it isn’t possible, that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be the stated goal. Everyone keeps going there because it is the right thing to do. The GOP should make it clear that the only reason why so many Americans are suffering because of Obamacare is because of the Dems. You do that by constant calls for repeal.

The good news for me is that BCBS said I can now keep my plan through next year. That’s all I need to know, because chances are the law will be dead by the end of 2014 anyway. Even if it isn’t, I am strongly considering a relocation outside the US which would put me out of reach anyway.

My employee insurance premiums are going up 20 percent next year, the highest increase I can ever remember. I had to cut 20 percent off of my flexible spending account for next year to compensate, which means more of my spending will be after tax.

“We are the Obama people,” said Camille Sweeney, a New York writer and member of the Authors Guild. Her insurance is being canceled, and she is dismayed that neither her pediatrician nor her general practitioner appears to be on the exchange plans. What to do has become a hot topic on Facebook and at dinner parties frequented by her fellow writers and artists. “I’m for it,” she said. “But what is the reality of it?”

Yeah, it’s that “reality” that always screws up a nice socialist plan.

The GOP should make it clear that the only reason why so many Americans are suffering because of Obamacare is because of the Dems. You do that by constant calls for repeal.

Happy Nomad on December 16, 2013 at 9:30 AM

And where will they do this? What part of the MSM will cover them? All the LIVs will hear is Reid or Pelosi spouting on the alphabet networks that Republicans want to take your health care away and kill Grandma, the Republicans will shutdown the Government again just out of spite, etc.

And where will they do this? What part of the MSM will cover them? All the LIVs will hear is Reid or Pelosi spouting on the alphabet networks that Republicans want to take your health care away and kill Grandma, the Republicans will shutdown the Government again just out of spite, etc.

The surrender weasels covered this. As long as the rats are in charge of the Senate and White House, there is no way that the GOP leadership is going to attempt repeal. They are as cowardly as they are morally bankrupt.

Happy Nomad on December 16, 2013 at 9:21 AM

One point you forgot to mention above, there is ZERO chance of any repeal, none. Ain’t gonna happen when the Dems own the Senate and White House. Not sure why everyone keeps going there.

Johnnyreb on December 16, 2013 at 9:26 AM

I agree with Johnnyreb. In this case discretion is the better part of valor. Anything the Rs say or do at this point will be seized upon by the Ogabe press as examples of why OgabeCare is failing: The Rs are sabotaging it!!! The Ogabe press is absolutely desperate for something — Anything! — to defelect blame from their Golden Calf.